grief

 Since writing my angel books, I have received so many emails from people who have gone through losses of family members.  Almost all of the letters are about how they hope to get through the holidays.  It is as if Christmas in light of a loss has become an occasion to merely tolerate--or sleep through--in hopes that it will magically disappear.

The holidays seem to magnify emotions of grief as music, events, even aromas can remind us of the person we are missing. Our family lost two close family members within weeks of the holidays, one right before Thanksgiving and the other two years later on December ninth. I remember thinking it would be nice to just pull the covers over my head and wake up in January.

 "If I kill myself, then I can be with Daddy forever," Jessica said.I felt exactly the same...wanting to die."I understand how much you miss Daddy, but you can't kill yourself." I sadly looked my 7 year old's wishful face.She quietly stared ahead as if in deep thought. "Well... what if someone else kills me? That would be a good idea."

Years

     When we lose a loved one--especially in a sudden and traumatic way—we typically experience a wide range of emotions. Sadness and anger we expect, but many other confusing thoughts and feelings often arise.      Pinpointing these emotions can help us feel a little more in control and a little less perplexed, even if there’s not an immediate solution or explanation for why we’re feeling this way.

Dealing With InsensitivityBy Cindy Adkins

My dad was my hero. He was a good man... I always felt taken care of. I have always been a pretty independent person but when he died I felt like who's going to take care of me now? Who's going to worry about me like he worried about me? That was when my mom was still here, and it's true she cared for me and worried about me, but there was something about my dad's strength that I just could not let go of.The truth is, no one will love you like your dad and no one could ever fill his shoes... but there are people who want to love you if you look around.